McCracken County High School

Summary:

McCracken County High School is a public high school in Paducah, Kentucky, serving 1,999 students in grades 9-12. The school consistently performs well, ranking 16th out of 290 Kentucky high schools and receiving a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for the 2023-2024 school year.

McCracken County High School has maintained a strong academic performance, consistently outperforming the state average in standardized test scores, including ACT English, Mathematics, and Reading, as well as the Kentucky State Assessments. The school also has strong performance across different student subgroups, often ranking in the top quartile or top third of Kentucky high schools. Additionally, the school has a high four-year graduation rate of 93.7%, significantly above the state average.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Carlisle County High School, Livingston Central High School, Ballard Memorial High School, and Paducah Tilghman High School, McCracken County High School generally outperforms these schools in academic measures, graduation rates, and student-teacher ratios. The school's relatively low percentage of free and reduced lunch recipients, compared to some of the nearby schools, suggests a more economically diverse student population, which may contribute to its strong academic performance.

Detail:

Public 9-12

6601 Us Hwy 60
Paducah, KY 42001

(270) 538-4000

District: McCracken County

SchoolDigger Rank:
16^th of 290 Kentucky High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,818

Feeder schools for McCracken County High School:

Elementary:	Concord Elementary School
	Heath Elementary School
	Hendron Lone Oak Elementary School
	Lone Oak Elementary School
	More...
	Lone Oak Intermediate School
	Reidland Elementary School
	Reidland Intermediate School
Middle:	Heath Middle School
	Lone Oak Middle School
	Reidland Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 18.7

Number of students: 1,999

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.4%

Hispanic:

5.7%

African American:

4.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 43.4%

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Compare McCracken County High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details McCracken County High School ranks better than 94.5% of high schools in Kentucky. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 87.55. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at McCracken County High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at McCracken County High School is $13,818.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

McCracken County High School:

SchoolDigger ranks McCracken County High School 16^th of 290 Kentucky public high schools. (See McCracken County High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

McCracken County:

SchoolDigger ranks McCracken County 20^th of 159 Kentucky school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for McCracken County High School

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Rank History for all students at McCracken County High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KY State Percentile
2015	70.72	70^th	295	76.3%
2016	65.46	85^th	288	70.5%
2017	68.32	77^th	287	73.2%
2018	80.11	39^th	271	85.6%
2019	72.40	50^th	285	82.5%
2021	69.58	43^rd	267	83.9%
2022	71.07	42^nd	271	84.5%
2023	67.14	61^st	276	77.9%
2024	87.55	16^th	290	94.5%

See the entire list of Kentucky High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at McCracken County High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KY State Percentile
2018	53.36	20^th	42	52.4%
2019	38.02	23^rd	39	41.0%
2021	74.15	8^th	49	83.7%
2022	47.11	33^rd	77	57.1%
2023	55.91	30^th	76	60.5%
2024	62.64	25^th	87	71.3%

See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at McCracken County High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KY State Percentile
2019	56.92	93^rd	226	58.8%
2023	32.78	112^th	162	30.9%
2024	55.11	47^th	168	72.0%

See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at McCracken County High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KY State Percentile
2018	70.34	49^th	232	78.9%
2019	52.59	126^th	254	50.4%
2021	64.26	47^th	234	79.9%
2022	74.30	33^rd	266	87.6%
2023	59.36	82^nd	272	69.9%
2024	78.38	30^th	274	89.1%

See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at McCracken County High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KY State Percentile
2018	69.57	59^th	234	74.8%
2019	51.84	134^th	249	46.2%
2021	65.78	50^th	236	78.8%
2022	69.06	52^nd	252	79.4%
2023	67.78	56^th	253	77.9%
2024	83.51	20^th	261	92.3%

See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at McCracken County High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KY State Percentile
2018	65.37	31^st	166	81.3%
2019	61.18	47^th	166	71.7%
2021	84.71	14^th	154	90.9%
2022	56.47	43^rd	153	71.9%

See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at McCracken County High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KY State Percentile
2018	52.24	66^th	115	42.6%
2019	50.17	63^rd	102	38.2%
2023	63.56	10^th	23	56.5%

See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at McCracken County High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KY State Percentile
2018	78.82	33^rd	237	86.1%
2019	62.45	77^th	251	69.3%
2021	64.58	51^st	238	78.6%
2022	70.64	46^th	257	82.1%
2023	62.46	71^st	259	72.6%
2024	86.76	14^th	262	94.7%

See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at McCracken County High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	62.31	9^th	26	65.4%
2024	74.06	9^th	27	66.7%

See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at McCracken County High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KY State Percentile
2018	22.93	78^th	94	17.0%
2019	25.21	70^th	89	21.3%
2021	56.85	19^th	78	75.6%
2022	43.09	40^th	89	55.1%
2023	48.09	38^th	83	54.2%
2024	59.37	30^th	93	67.7%

See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at McCracken County High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KY State Percentile
2018	84.48	7^th	80	91.3%
2019	47.73	41^st	88	53.4%
2021	89.14	7^th	92	92.4%
2022	82.97	12^th	114	89.5%
2023	66.97	23^rd	116	80.2%
2024	79.55	14^th	124	88.7%

See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at McCracken County High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KY State Percentile
2018	70.20	48^th	198	75.8%
2019	54.86	93^rd	219	57.5%
2021	61.39	48^th	203	76.4%
2022	67.92	53^rd	260	79.6%
2023	62.84	74^th	264	72.0%
2024	83.80	25^th	273	90.8%

See the entire list of Best Kentucky High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Kentucky Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Kentucky Department of Education

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Enrollment information for McCracken County High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2014	1686	68	21	39	6	3	50	1873
2015	1695	88	23	40	4	3	56	1909
2016	1745	85	25	56	2	3	56	1972
2017	1768	90	25	67	3	2	71	2026
2018	1753	99	23	86	3	3	63	2030
2019	1757	96	28	83	4	2	54	2024
2020	1691	102	25	93	4	1	56	1972
2021	1723	101	29	102	4	1	70	2030
2022	1678	98	30	101	5	0	77	1989
2023	1667	95	32	114	5	1	85	1999

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at McCracken County High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	1873	100.8	18.5	39.3
2015	1909	104.0	18.3	39.7
2016	1972	113.0	17.4	40.2
2017	2026	112.7	17.9	41.7
2018	2030	112.1	18.0	40.6
2019	2024	113.4	17.8	40.2
2020	1972	111.1	17.7	41.5
2021	2030	110.5	18.3	39.6
2022	1989	109.1	18.2	42.7
2023	1999	106.6	18.7	43.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio McCracken County High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	1873	100.8	18.5	39.3
2015	1909	104.0	18.3	39.7
2016	1972	113.0	17.4	40.2
2017	2026	112.7	17.9	41.7
2018	2030	112.1	18.0	40.6
2019	2024	113.4	17.8	40.2
2020	1972	111.1	17.7	41.5
2021	2030	110.5	18.3	39.6
2022	1989	109.1	18.2	42.7
2023	1999	106.6	18.7	43.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for McCracken County High School

Year	Personnel Expenditures from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Expenditures from Federal Funds	Total Expenditures from Federal Funds	Personnel Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$345 (3.1%)	$68 (0.6%)	$413 (3.7%)	$8,376 (75.1%)	$1,810 (16.2%)	$10,186 (91.3%)	$11,159
2019	$458 (4.5%)	$61 (0.6%)	$519 (5.1%)	$8,516 (83.2%)	$1,676 (16.4%)	$10,192 (99.6%)	$10,233
2020	$419 (3.6%)	$190 (1.6%)	$609 (5.2%)	$8,363 (71.4%)	$1,363 (11.6%)	$9,726 (83.0%)	$11,720
2021	$503 (4.1%)	$655 (5.4%)	$1,158 (9.5%)	$8,827 (72.3%)	$2,212 (18.1%)	$11,039 (90.4%)	$12,205
2022	$763 (5.5%)	$661 (4.8%)	$1,439 (10.4%)	$9,751 (70.6%)	$2,868 (20.8%)	$12,618 (91.3%)	$13,818

Data source: Kentucky Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on McCracken County High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 50^th of 285 High schools	Ranks 61^st of 276 High schools	4.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English (McCracken County High School)	70	61	9%
11th Grade English (McCracken County)	70	59	11%
11th Grade English (Kentucky)	49.1	47	2.1%
11th Grade Mathematics (McCracken County High School)	48	41	7%
11th Grade Mathematics (McCracken County)	48	40	8%
11th Grade Mathematics (Kentucky)	36.4	33	3.4%
11th Grade Reading (McCracken County High School)	58.1	53	5.1%
11th Grade Reading (McCracken County)	58.1	52	6.1%
11th Grade Reading (Kentucky)	46	44	2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	2024	1999	1.2%
African American	96	95	1%
American Indian	4	5	25%
Asian	28	32	14.3%
Hispanic	83	114	37.3%
Pacific Islander	2	1	50%
White	1757	1667	5.1%
Two or More Races	54	85	57.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	40.2%	43.4%	3.2%

Schools Near McCracken County High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				KSA Mathematics (2024)	KSA Reading (2024)	KSA Writing (2024)	KSA Social Studies (2024)	KSA Editing and Mechanics (2024)	ACT English (2024)	ACT Mathematics (2024)	ACT Reading (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	KSA Mathematics 10th Grade	KSA Reading 10th Grade	KSA Writing 11th Grade	KSA Social Studies 11th Grade	KSA Editing and Mechanics 11th Grade	ACT English 11th Grade	ACT Mathematics 11th Grade	ACT Reading 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
McCracken County High School	Public	9-12	6601 Us Hwy 60	Paducah	42001	McCracken County	McCracken County	No	No	No	Yes	(270) 538-4000	1,999	107	18.7	43.4%	1,667 (83.4%)	95 (4.8%)	114 (5.7%)	32 (1.6%)	5 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	85 (4.3%)	87.6	16^th of 290 public high schools	94.5%		67.1	61^st of 276 public high schools	77.9%	45	51.0	64.0	62.0	50.0	60.0	61.0	45.0	51.0	$13,818	$763	$661	$1,439	$9,751	$2,868	$12,618
Paducah Area Technology Center	Public	8-12	500 South 25th Street	Paducah	42003	McCracken County	Kentucky Technical System	No	No	No	No	(270) 443-6592	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Paducah Tilghman High School	Public	9-12	2400 Washington St	Paducah	42003	McCracken County	Paducah Independent	No	No	No	Yes	(270) 444-5650	878	58	15.1	63.8%	368 (41.9%)	336 (38.3%)	61 (6.9%)	5 (0.6%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	104 (11.8%)	31.7	199^th of 290 public high schools	31.4%		46.3	146^th of 276 public high schools	47.1%	53	23.0	40.0	28.0	31.0	39.0	32.0	20.0	35.0	$32,276	$1,837	$1,838	$3,368	$20,311	$5,164	$25,742
Ballard County Career and Technology Center	Public	9-12	11 Vocational School Rd	Barlow	42024	Ballard County	Ballard County	No	No	No	No	(270) 665-8400	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Ballard Memorial High School	Public	9-12	3561 Paducah Rd	Barlow	42024	Ballard County	Ballard County	No	No	No	No	(270) 665-8400	260	22	11.6	56.9%	232 (89.2%)	9 (3.5%)	5 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.0%)	70.6	65^th of 290 public high schools	77.6%		69.4	55^th of 276 public high schools	80.1%	10	58.0	54.0	48.0	38.0	57.0	42.0	40.0	40.0	$21,720	$495	$1,094	$1,589	$13,214	$4,396	$17,610
Livingston Central High School	Public	9-12	750 Us 60 W	Smithland	42081	Livingston County	Livingston County	No	No	No	Yes	(270) 928-2065	329	23	14.1	47.1%	296 (90.0%)	1 (0.3%)	15 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.2%)	75.5	47^th of 290 public high schools	83.8%		50.2	124^th of 276 public high schools	55.1%	77	48.0	59.0	55.0	50.0	61.0	49.0	23.0	45.0	$18,068	$1,471	$1,774	$3,244	$10,769	$2,853	$13,622
Carlisle County High School	Public	9-12	4557 State Route 1377	Bardwell	42023	Carlisle County	Carlisle County	No	No	No	No	(270) 628-3800	204	15	14.0	55.9%	182 (89.2%)	4 (2.0%)	11 (5.4%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.9%)	54.7	124^th of 290 public high schools	57.2%		47.5	138^th of 276 public high schools	50.0%	14	35.0	44.0	53.0	30.0	43.0	50.0	30.0	40.0	$16,448	$799	$638	$1,437	$9,674	$3,336	$13,011

Frequently Asked Questions about McCracken County High School

McCracken County High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Concord Elementary School
Elementary : Heath Elementary School
Elementary : Hendron Lone Oak Elementary School
Elementary : Lone Oak Elementary School
Elementary : Lone Oak Intermediate School
Elementary : Reidland Elementary School
Elementary : Reidland Intermediate School
Middle : Heath Middle School
Middle : Lone Oak Middle School
Middle : Reidland Middle School

McCracken County High School

McCracken County High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

McCracken County:

What do you think?

Rank History for McCracken County High School

Rank History for all students at McCracken County High School

Rank History for Multi-racial students at McCracken County High School

Rank History for Special Education students at McCracken County High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at McCracken County High School

Rank History for Female students at McCracken County High School

Rank History for Disabled students at McCracken County High School

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at McCracken County High School

Rank History for Male students at McCracken County High School

Rank History for Asian students at McCracken County High School

Rank History for African American students at McCracken County High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at McCracken County High School

Rank History for White students at McCracken County High School

Enrollment information for McCracken County High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at McCracken County High School

Student/Teacher Ratio McCracken County High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for McCracken County High School

Impact of COVID-19 on McCracken County High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near McCracken County High School

Frequently Asked Questions about McCracken County High School

Rate McCracken County High School!

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